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Post by UnklMickey on Apr 17, 2006 13:28:21 GMT -5
whatta youse guys think?
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Post by RJB on Apr 17, 2006 14:37:30 GMT -5
$15 GC special for the Squier Affinity, keeps the rain and dust off. Also protects for scrathes, NOT dents
~$40 Fenner padded bag that came with the Nashville Tele. Same as above, but some dent protection. Spends most of it's time on a stand
Gibby came w/ HSC. Don't think I would ever consider a bag for that one.
I guess my line in the sand would be, if I wouldn't lose sleep over dropping it by itself, a bag is OK. Also never with a Nitro finish, too fragile. Airline Travel!!! HSC a must for checked baggage, a bag for carry-on with above criteria.
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Post by night0wl on Apr 17, 2006 15:45:19 GMT -5
I wouldn't risk using one. My axes aren't worth much but they are all I have and they are work tools.
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Post by RandomHero on Apr 17, 2006 21:51:19 GMT -5
A gig bag isn't bad for transport to and from a venue, but unless it's one THICK mofo, it doesn't provide adequate protection against the one thing guitars fear:
Sudden environmental changes!
Sure, a ding or two in your baby's finish will hurt your pride, but the thing that will hurt your baby is sudden changes in environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and the like. Double so for acoustics with solid tops or backs and sides! Those things are what makes woods warp and previously straight necks do the pretzel.
A gig bag is nice since most of them come with shoulder straps for easy carrying, but breathes too much to be considered adequate protection from these issues in the long-term. So even at home, a high-dollar gitfiddle should be kept in a nice tight huggy hardshell.
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Post by sumgai on Apr 18, 2006 3:19:55 GMT -5
unk, You'd elevate the thing to foot-stool status?  Man, I didn't even use it to line the bird cage! In fact, true story. Pull up a cold one, and pop a chair. I had one of these things laying around for something like a year, maybe more. Came in with a junky Squier I fixed for a customer. He tried out his guitar after the repair, liked it, paid for it, and walked out the door with the ax in his hand. Never came back to reclaim the gig-bag. OK, fast-forward a bunch of months. In comes a '65 Fender SuperReverb, all trashed out. The reverb pan had been 'bag-less' for Lowerd knows how long, and it was thrashed. One new pan later, and some judicious work with a pair of scissors and a couple of screws, and no one could tell it wasn't the original pan and bag down there below the speakers. Swear to Gawd. Yeah, they do have their uses. Just not for carrying guitars around though. sumgai |
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Post by Ripper on Apr 21, 2006 0:15:48 GMT -5
My guitars rarely if ever leave my sight when I take them out. A gig bag is just fine. I had a few hardshell cases, but didnt use them much.
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Post by dunkelfalke on Apr 21, 2006 11:03:11 GMT -5
a gigbag is ok most time. but for long distance travelling i'd rather take a hard case.
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Post by guitardoode on Apr 21, 2006 11:45:34 GMT -5
Gig Bags are so expensive here.... and really annoying.
I mean ive bought what people advise to be the BEST cases "Rockbag delux's"
For £35, im not too sure how much thats in dollars probably $55 -$60 but god they're nasty! Ive had 4! Mainly because they ALL broke! I still have one but its heavily modified ive used the remains of the old cases so add extra support and still the strap managed to snap! I ended up buying a £25 security strap with wiremesh inside, seems ok at the moment, but the cases tend to tear that the rings where the strap clips. I still think they're fairly useful especially a lot easier to carry than my Hardcase, but i find it EXTREMELY annoying when i walk a few meters then "SNAP" the damn thing drops on the floor, another massive chip in my paint work!"
I Dont know if anyone else has these problems and No im not using it to carry a lead plated Les paul, Hahah!
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Post by dunkelfalke on Apr 21, 2006 13:10:59 GMT -5
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Post by inducedblues on Apr 21, 2006 17:09:27 GMT -5
depends on the bag (quality of protection) and the guitar (if it's worth protecting)
They have some new lite cases which are cool and much lighter than hardcases which can be a pain to lug around.
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Post by JohnH on Apr 21, 2006 19:23:06 GMT -5
I think gig bags are fine, except for taking to a gig. In fact, for any guitar which is going out of the house, I use a hard case. However, I don't have enough hard cases for all my guitars, and so I use soft cases to give protection from dust and cats, for those guitars which are not being played often. My main two electrics get picked up frequently, and so don't ever get put away. Unlike the cats, which get picked up and put away.
John
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Post by Mini-Strat_Maine on Apr 21, 2006 21:36:54 GMT -5
I use soft cases to give protection from dust and cats, for those guitars which are not being played often. My main two electrics get picked up frequently, and so don't ever get put away. Unlike the cats, which get picked up and put away. I've gotten a bunch of the "Elite" bags from Musician's Friend, and like John, use 'em around the house to keep dust (spelled "p-e-t h-a-i-r") off the guitars. There are several guitars leaning up against walls or furniture, snug in their bags. We have a cat who used to think a gig bag, when it was standing upright with the guitar in it, made a good scratching post. Once they get their own little axe, though, they're usually more appreciative of others' gear. Had to have her own little Marshall stack, too.  |
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Post by JohnH on Apr 21, 2006 22:22:36 GMT -5
MSM - you get my +1 for that! Does your cat insist on an original Tubescreamer? or are the reissues acceptable? What is her opinion on series /parallel wiring? Has she properly considered the issues of impedance matching those two cabs to the amp head? All very important questions....
John
EDIT: Ive just realised what a Mini-Strat is!
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Post by Ripper on Apr 21, 2006 23:00:50 GMT -5
When I used to race motorcycles in the 80's, my mentor used to say to me " If you have a $10 head wear a $10 helmet" I guess the same applies here as well.
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Post by dunkelfalke on Apr 22, 2006 4:57:01 GMT -5
Once they get their own little axe, though, they're usually more appreciative of others' gear. Had to have her own little Marshall stack, too. you gave your cat a €1000 cort g-290?! |
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Post by Mini-Strat_Maine on Apr 22, 2006 5:36:41 GMT -5
you gave your cat a €1000 cort g-290?! Actually, she bought it out of her earnings for being the Attack Cat for the home. (Unlike the dog, the burglars can't bribe her with food.) And the cat-sized models are way less expensive, too. ;D |
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Post by dunkelfalke on Apr 22, 2006 8:38:27 GMT -5
When I used to race motorcycles in the 80's, my mentor used to say to me " If you have a $10 head wear a $10 helmet" I guess the same applies here as well. well, to be honest i wouldn't want any other gigbag than my relatively cheap one because it is great. i have bought the gigbag for my classic guitar, but my steelstring (ibanez talman) also fits, and of course all my electric guitars fit too. |
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Post by sumgai on Apr 22, 2006 13:39:10 GMT -5
When you treat your ax like crap (a gig bag), it will treat you right back in the same way.
When you treat your ax like it was the Second Coming (a hard case), it will respond with all the love and beauty that you lavished on it.
Motorboat, you say. (But, but, but, but....) "It's only an inanimate object", you claim. Right. And I'm the King of Siam.
Listen, meatheads, that chunk o' junk you're so willing to relinquish to a mere gig bag is what makes you you. It is an extension of yourself, not just some mixed up molecules that Gawd put on Earth for the helluvit. When you fail to protect your "extension", you are saying that you don't care about being able to express yourself freely, you're willing to just exert muscle force on whatever comes to hand. For you, music is not your passion, your life, your reason d' etre. If it were, you'd be taking the same care of your instrument that you do of yourself.
When you drive on the freeways, do you drive a Yugo, or something with a bit better a safety rating? (Allowing for all the crazies out there these days!)
When you go skiing, do you wear $5 mittens to keep your hands warm, or the $100 Kombi's? Why, they both "protect your hands", don't they?
Skiing again.... what kind of boots do you wear? Tired old combat boots from the surplus store, or $350 Nordica's? Why, your feet are just as protected, aren't they? No? Well, what's the difference between your feet and your guitar - they are both vital and necessary parts of you, aren't they? Why play favorites, that's my ultimate question here.
</sermon>
sumgai
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Post by Mini-Strat_Maine on Apr 22, 2006 14:27:34 GMT -5
I guess seeing Foster Grants behind the eyeholes would make it too obvious that it's Elwood Blues under that bag. "Depart now and you forever separate yourselves from the vital American legacies of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Jimmie Reed, Memphis Slim, Blind Boy Fuller, Louie Jordan, Little Walter, Big Walter, Sonnyboy Williamson I (and II), Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley, Lieber and Stoller, and Robert K. Weiss." Donald "Duck" Dunn: "Who is Robert K. Weiss?" The man sure has a way with words. ;D |
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Post by dunkelfalke on Apr 22, 2006 15:24:52 GMT -5
when i am going for a walk to the woods with the intent of playing while actually breathing some fresh air i would never take a hard case. because it is cumbersome, heavy and hurts my palms.
same thing when i am taking a quick train trip.
how can something that hurts hands be any good for a guitar player?
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Post by sumgai on Apr 22, 2006 21:26:28 GMT -5
dunk,
Chang Kai Caine: "Master, how will I know when I can leave here?"
Master: "When you can snatch the pebble from my hand, grasshopper, you will be ready to leave us."
Voiced a little more strongly:
Spec Warrior's Strategy for Success:
.....
6. If you're are hurting, then you are doing it right. If you are not hurting on the training field, then you will be too dead to hurt in the real world. (copyright 1998, Richard Marcinko)
You must simply become so well practiced that you get past the point of pain. Nothing comes for free in this life, sad but true. I have no other comforts I can offer you, sorry.
sumgai
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Post by Runewalker on Apr 22, 2006 23:19:35 GMT -5
[quote author=johnh board=coffee thread=1145298501 post=1145665386 ]....We have a cat who used to think a gig bag, when it was standing upright with the guitar in it, made a good scratching post.
Once they get their own little axe, though, they're usually more appreciative of others' gear. Had to have her own little Marshall stack, too. Thank you for that MSM. Now I know not only are cats tasty in Korean soup and noodles, but also excellent shredders as well. {Pun fully intended.} |
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Post by dunkelfalke on Apr 23, 2006 4:15:00 GMT -5
sumgai: that is why i have always preferred judo ;-)
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Post by Mini-Strat_Maine on Apr 23, 2006 16:02:12 GMT -5
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Post by guitardoode on Apr 24, 2006 17:03:11 GMT -5
Ooh wow, thanks for that link! I might just get one if my modifications to this case of mine fails. Thanks for the tips! And mini strat maine! Wow! Mini TS! Where on earth did you gett that? or was it a photoshop edit? |
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Post by mlrpa on Apr 25, 2006 18:07:55 GMT -5
I can;t vote on this one. I use a gig bag for short transport. (10-20 miles) And around the house for the cat hair. Otherwise HArdshell
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leadfingers
Meter Reader 1st Class
2018 Trivia Contest Winner
Posts: 77
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Post by leadfingers on May 7, 2006 21:05:29 GMT -5
SumGai said "When you treat your ax like crap (a gig bag), it will treat you right back in the same way."
I'm not sure about that. A few years ago I was traveling out to Newark, NJ and there was a guy on the plane that had a gig bag. He had it with him on board as carry on (of course). I was then down at the luggage carousel picking up my stuff and there he was getting the rest of his stuff. While we waited for the luggage, I asked what he had in the bag. He told me, then showed me a beautiful Les Paul!!! He said it was a 57 LP. It was in immaculate condition.
He had just done a gig in Cincinnati (actually Newport, Ky right across the river from Cinci) and now he was headed to New York with a brief stop home in NJ. I asked him 'how can you trust a bag for that jewel!?' He said he always used the gig bag. It was very heavily padded, made of Kevlar and he had been using it for several years without a problem. He would make sure it was the last thing in an overhead, if it went there. He said usually the flight attendant would put it in the closet area with the suit bags.
He mentioned he also made sure he was booked on a larger plane so it had the front closet area, not one of the smaller commuter type jets. Not sure how he ensured that?
But he said he hadn't used a hard shell case in years.
Sorry folks, like it was said previously, my guitars aren't that expensive, but they cost enough that I could not easily replace them. And, I just prefer a hard case.
I still get dizzy thinking about that LP in a bag!
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Post by RJB on May 8, 2006 11:31:46 GMT -5
Just thought I'd pipe in again. Several years ago I was in line to get into a club to see Allan Holdsworth play, when he (Allan) pulled up in a cab, slung the gig bag over his sholder, and walked in. good enough for him.
I guess a better way to express my view, if the guitar is within my control at all times, I will consider a good, padded, gig bag. YMMV
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Post by UnklMickey on May 8, 2006 12:52:23 GMT -5
i finally voted and guess what. i went the footstool route.
i'm in the minority on this one, but i'm kinda used to that.
RJB's comment was valid, but i don't think i'd bother having both a gig-bag and a hard case.
i hadn't even thought about the environmental issues RH brought up.
so those concerns pushed a gig-bag even further into the foot-stool column for me.
it's nice to see Sumgai was able to get some use out of one, in a manner that doesn't put a guitar at risk.
and for all the folks that do use a gig-bag, i wish you good luck. but i won't be joining you.
whenever i buy a guitar, i make the best deal that i can. then i insist that the store add in a free, used hard case.
sometimes i can get them to add one free. other times, they'll add a few bucks to the total.
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Post by sumgai on May 8, 2006 17:24:17 GMT -5
RJB,
Whenever I see an "unsolicited" endorsement like this, I just chant to myself: "He can buy a new replacement guitar every hour, on the hour, for the rest of his life - - I can't."
Traveling musicians that don't take roadies along (for whatever reason) tend to make choices over time, one of them being the weight versus protection issue. AH, and I'm sure most others pros, likely does not think to himself "Aw, to hell with it, I don't care about this thing, I'll just travel lightly." I'd bet it's more like "Aw man, I can't break my back again, I'm gonna travel lightly, and hope no one smashes me rig." But in the back of his mind, you can be assured, he's not worried about having to spring for a new ax, should the need arise.
Some guys don't even take their ax along, they just show up, expecting the promoter to have arranged for a few guitars to be standing by, usually from a local music store. Don't laugh, I saw Tommy Tedesco do exactly that, back in the late 80's.
Gig bags - the other false insurance policy! ;D
sumgai
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